Reproductive assurance weakens pollinator-mediated selection on flower size in an annual mixed-mating species.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

In animal-pollinated plants, direct and indirect selection for large and small flowers in predominantly outcrossing and selfing species, respectively, is a common consequence of pollen limitation (PL). However, many hermaphroditic species show a mixed-mating system known as delayed selfing, which provides reproductive assurance (RA) only when outcrossing is not realized. Although RA is expected to reduce pollinator-mediated selection towards larger flowers, the consequences of delayed selfing for selection on flower size in mixed-mating species remain overlooked. We investigated whether RA weakens selection on flower size in Tuberaria guttata, a mixed-mating annual herb.

Methods

We related pollinator visitation rates to flower size and measured seed produ

SUBMITTER: Teixido AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6589515 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature